4 New Books and Activities For Indoor Fun

It’s still relatively warm where I live, but September means the coming of cooler weather for most of the country, and sometimes even snow, but often additional rain. For those weekend afternoons when your kids come to you, yet again, saying, “Mom, I’m bored,” here are a few new suggestions to give their play some direction.

Laurence King Publishing puts out some fascinating, high-quality books and materials for kids of all ages and adults. I’ve chosen a selection to keep your kids (or yourself) busy when you’re looking for a creative activity.

A page from Pierre the Maze Detective. Image: Laurence King Publishing

Pierre the Maze Detective: The Search for the Stolen Maze Stone is perfect for younger kids, perhaps age 4 and up (though the publisher recommends age 8 and up). Each page in this oversized book contains a map for kids to follow, from start to finish. There are also hidden objects, extra challenges, and a story to follow. And for kids too young to complete a maze, the book is a fabulous “busy book,” for just looking at all the picture details. Adults will also find themselves wanting to visit the towns, buildings, docks, treetops, caves, and markets as well. Answers are included, so any frustrations that arise can easily be abated. Fifteen fantastical mazes are included in this first book of a new series.

Image: Laurence King Publishing

Learn about birds as you match male and female pairs in Match a Pair of Birds: A Memory Game. Despite the simple title, this game is a valuable tool. Instead of matching cartoony images like in the usual memory games, kids (and adults) learn to match male and female pairs of Northern Cardinals, Mallards, House Sparrows, Emperor Penguins, and more. Oftentimes when we picture a certain kind of bird, it’s the male variety that we think of. This is likely because the male birds are usually more colorful and flouncy, so they can attract a mate. But what do the female birds look like?

Image: Laurence King Publishing

Played like a regular memory game, kids will learn to associate both the male and female varieties of birds with their names. The game contains 25 species in all, and it comes with a guidebook explaining more about each species. It’s perfect for anyone old enough to read.

Image: Laurence King Publishing

If your kids like to invent and draw up their inventions, My Crazy Inventions Sketchbook: 50 Awesome Drawing Activities for Young Inventors is the perfect activity book to challenge them to dream. Guiding readers through a lot of thought experiments and creative thinking, the book also contains plenty of room for budding inventors to include their own drawings and challenge themselves to invent suggested contraptions.

Image: Laurence King Publishing

Robots, time machines, sea shoes, dream cars, new snacks, flying machines, and space toilets are only some of the ideas, and there are also spots for the inventor to come up with their own categories of invention. There is even a brief discussion on patents at the end of the book, along with a “patent application” and certificate.

Image: Laurence King Publishing

For older kids with a dark, horror, or Halloween bent, patience, and a steady hand, Paper Dandy’s Horrorgami will bring extra eeriness to your house. No matter your teen’s favorite spooky location, this book is sure to have it, from The Catacombs and Dr. Frankenstein’s Laboratory to The Ghost Train and even Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s Castle. Using a precision craft blade, cut along the solid lines on each page and fold along the dotted lines.

Image: Laurence King Publishing

Your flat pages will become three-dimensional and with some added spooky lighting, these pages can decorate your home for the month of October, flattening for storage until they are brought out next year, once again. The book has 20 scenes to cut and fold, kirigami-style.

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Jenny Bristol is an Editor at GeekDad and a founding Director at GeekMom. She is a lifelong geek who spends her time learning, writing, homeschooling her two wickedly smart kids, losing herself in history, and mastering the art of traveling on a shoestring.